Once all of our networking is configured, we just need to do a few more things to complete the configuration of ESXi, after we’re done with this, we’ll complete the SAN configuration, and install vCenter on a VM and get these hosts connected to it.
First let’s configure our time and NTP settings:
- Open the vSphere Client and connect to your ESXi host.
- Click the “Configuration tab” at the top, and then click on “Time Configuration” in the left pane.
- Click “Properties…” in the top right hand corner of the screen.
- Set a time close to that of your NTP server, and then click the “Options…” button.
- Click “NTP Settings” in the left pane, click “Add…”, and then Enter the IP address of your NTP server.
- Check the box labeled “Restart NTP service to apply changes” and then click on “OK”, Click “OK” on the last window.
That takes care of the Time Configuration, let’s now configure local storage on the Host.
- Remaining on the “Configuration” tab, Click “Storage” in the top left hand pane.
- Click “Add Storage…” in the top right hand part of the screen.
- Select the option for “Disk/LUN” and then click “Next >”.
- Select the local RAID or Disk controller on your Host, and then click “Next >”.
- If prompted, select to use all available space and partitions, unless you’ve got utility partitions on your system you want to keep. Click “Next >”.
- Give your local Datastore a name, it’s a good idea to specifically note that it’s local storage in the name. Click “Next >”.
- Choose your block size, select the size that most closely resembles the amount of free storage, or below. Click “Next >”.
- Click “Finish”.
Now let’s add the iSCSI storage that we configured on the SAN.
- Remaining on the “Configuration” tab, Click “Storage Adapters” in the left hand pane.
- Scroll down to the “iSCSI Software Adapter”, select it, and then click on “Properties…” in the top right corner of the screen.
- Click “Configure”, Check the box for “Enabled”, and then click “OK”
- Click the “Dynamic Discovery” tab, click “Add…”, Enter the IP address of the SAN GROUP (not any individual IP on any one controller), leave the default port and then click “OK”.
- When prompted, click “Yes” to rescan the adapters for storage. The LUN on the SAN that we just provisioned should now appear in the list.
- Remaining on the “Configuration” tab, Click “Storage” in the left hand pane.
- Click “Add…”, Select “Disk/LUN” and click “Next >”.
- Select the LUN from the SAN that we just added, and click “Next >”.
- Click “Next >” to add a new partition, Enter a name for this volume, preferably one that matches the volume on the SAN, and then click “Next >”.
- Select the Maximum file size that you want and then click “Next >”.
- Click “Finish”.
That’s all we need to do for now on the ESXi hosts, let’s move on and get vCenter installed on a VM.
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